The Girl with the Broken Smile
by ShotgunOpera
Summary: Uprooted from her home, Anne struggles to adapt to this new environment and overcome her own problems at the same time. Can she change her stars, or will she be doomed to stay where she's at? Note: this starts at one year before the events of the book.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders, only my OC and her little world, nothing else. I don't make any profit from this, either.

A/N: Well, here it is, the beginning of my NaNoWriMo fic, and just in time for Good Fic Day! I hope you enjoy it. :) It introduces a previously mentioned character from my one-shot "War will make corpses of us all." If you haven't read it, beware, there will be some spoilers for this story. If you have, well, there's not too many spoilers I guess, but there is a little bit. Much thanks goes out to RileysMomma for making awesome suggestions and helping me out with editing and just being there as my beta. You seriously deserve to have free snacky stuffs forever!

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The morning sun streamed through the windows of the classroom, making it almost bright enough to not need any lights on. The windows were open to let a little breeze in, and I could hear birds chirping in a tree nearby. I would've loved to sit by the window and gaze out of it all day long, but it was that exact reason I chose a seat in the middle of the classroom. I would have gone further back than the front seat – I didn't like being front and center, as it seemed like everyone was staring at you – but a group of snobby girls had commandeered my ideal seating area.

I barely even noticed their whispers and giggles anymore, though, as I concentrated on the notebook before me. I tightened my grip on the pencil as I wrote out my schedule in the very front of it, biting my lip and trying to remember what order my classes came in. I thought I had a slip of paper with all the information written down, but I couldn't find it upon perusal of my sack. I sighed and went through my bag again, and this time I found what I was looking for.

Gently unfolding the paper, I smoothed it out and began copying it. It was a good thing I found it; I had gotten a few of the classes and their times and locations mixed up. I would have been embarrassed as all hell if I had walked into the wrong classroom; I didn't like to draw much attention to myself.

This school was so different from my last one – much bigger – it was almost confusing. My old school was so small it only had one room per grade, and the teachers rotated throughout the day. Thankfully the kind secretary in the office offered to show me to my homeroom and gave me directions to the rest of my classes. I only hoped I remembered them, as I didn't really want to stop and ask for directions. The people here were much more standoff-ish, and nobody had bothered to give me a second glance. While I appreciated not being the center of attention, it was so different than the many greetings a newcomer would receive at good ol' Charlie N. Wilson High. It almost made me nervous, as if they were waiting for something, though what exactly I had no clue.

All I really wanted was to go back to my old, small high school, with my familiar desk almost near the back, next to my best friend, Helen. Helen always had a knack for cracking me up early in the morning, and it became something I looked forward to every day. I felt a pang of heartache shoot through my chest, and I wondered if she had gotten my letter, yet. _I sent that, what, last week? No, I think it was in the middle of the week before …_

Biting my lip again and twirling a piece of my ponytail around my finger, I was lost in thought until some guy in a worn leather jacket came along and cruelly pushed my books off my desk.

Startled, I looked up to see cold brown eyes, and the boy chuckled as he walked to the back of the room and settled into a seat in the back, taking a comb out of his pocket at the same time to brush his greasy hair. _What a great way to start at a new school_, I thought.

Sighing, I reached down to gather my books, when all of a sudden there was another pair of hands there.

"Here, let me help you," another boy said as he gathered a couple of books and handed them to me.

I was startled, as this boy looked similar to the bully with his leather jacket, greasy hair, and cowboy boots. If I had seen him elsewhere, I probably would have never even glanced his way, in case he spotted me and decided wanted to hassle me. But, squatting at my side, and looking up with those grey eyes that had a certain sparkle in them, he looked almost approachable.

Almost.

"Oh, thank you," I replied, settling my books on my desk again, arranging them in order of my classes.

He took a seat next to me and leaned over so he could talk to me better. "I haven't seen you around before, you new here?"

I nodded. "Yes. Yes, I am."

He leaned a little closer. "What's your name?"

I nervously pushed my long bangs out of my face before I replied, "Anne. Anne Larson."

He grinned. "Everybody calls me Two-Bit."

I had to chuckle. "That's an interesting nickname."

He took a breath, as if to say something else, when the bell rang and the teacher stepped into the room. I was instantly all business, my notebook open and my pen poised to write any pertinent information.

I heard a snort and a snicker beside me, and I looked over to see Two-Bit grinning absurdly. "What?" I whispered.

"Nothin, doll, never mind."

The day passed in a whirlwind of activity, and I was already overwhelmed by the time lunch rolled around. I flinched when I realized that I had forgotten to pack something to eat, even though we barely had anything to eat anyway, and I furiously hoped that no one would notice. Instead, I took all of my books and began working on my homework at a small table tucked away in a corner.

I started twirling a strand of hair from my ponytail again, concentrating on the book before me rather than the activity around me. I hadn't seen the bully nor Two-Bit when I walked in, but then again it was rather crowded and I never bothered with more than that first cursory glance. My grey pencil skirt and white blouse blended me into the background of a sea of color from madras to sweater sets, and I enjoyed the camouflage of sorts that it gave me.

Someone suddenly sat down at my table, startling me. I looked up into the most gorgeous set of dark blue eyes I had ever seen. The boy now sitting in front of me flashed me a grin that dazzled me and I was half-afraid my jaw was going to hit the table.

I swallowed, suddenly tongue-tied, but he didn't seem to notice as he spoke smoothly. "You're the new girl, huh?"

I nodded. "Uh huh."

Another smile. "I'm Bob Sheldon. And you are …?"

"A-Anne. Anne Larson."

"Well, Anne, how is your first day at Will Rogers high? What do you think of it?"

I shrugged. "It's cool." I half-chuckled. "It's really big."

"Small town girl, huh?"

I grinned, and my eyes sought the table. I didn't know why I had such a hard time looking him in the face. He was just so different from the guys at my old school. They mostly just blended into the background, with me, but Bob naturally stood out. He had a charisma about him that attracted and a calmness that soothed away any uneasiness. He seemed laid back and casual, not uptight like one would expect a popular person to be, for that's what he was. He _had_ to be one of the boys in the popular group. If not, everything in Tulsa was completely backwards.

"Hey, do you want to go out for a coke after school?"

I was startled by his question, mostly that it was directed at me, and I had to take a moment to regain my voice. "Um … what?"

"There's this place near school, called Rusty's. I go there all the time; it's a nice place to just hang out for a bit. Would you like to get a coke there with me after school?"

I swear I could feel my ears getting warm. I had only just met this boy, but something about him prompted me to want to answer in the affirmative. I looked down as I answered him. "Sure." I looked up again to see those beautiful eyes flash with light.

He gave me another smile and said, "I'll meet you at the bottom of the stairs after school."

I nodded and smiled. "Ok."

"Great," he said in reply before getting up and walking over to a group of boys I presumed was his friends.

My mind whirled as my eyes struggled to find the spot where I had left off on the page. I had just been asked out! _Maybe this town isn't so bad after all._


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Anne and her little world are the only things that belong to me, everything else belongs to Susie. :)

A/N: Huge thanks goes to RileysMomma for her awesome beta for this chapter. I can write a steamy sex scene like nobody's business, but when it comes to an innocent date ... I'm stuck. :P I hope you guys enjoy "charming Bob" lol.

* * *

After school, I nervously gathered my things and waited at the bottom of the steps. I squinted against the bright sunlight and looked around, trying to find Bob in the crowd, but I didn't see him. I readjusted my sack, triple checked to make sure I had everything I would need for homework tonight, and fidgeted while I waited. I began to wonder if he had stood me up and was just about to start wallowing in self pity when a familiar face finally materialized in the crowd. It was probably just my imagination, but his smile seemed to light everything around him as he walked down the steps toward me, and I couldn't help that flutter in my stomach. "You ready?" he asked.

I smiled and nodded. "Yes."

"The car's this way," he gestured toward the parking lot and led me across the campus. When he unlocked and opened the passenger's side door of a beautiful black corvair, I was sure my jaw was on the ground.

"Is this your parents' car?"

He chuckled. "No, it's mine. Hop on in."

I slid into the leather seat, marveling at the softness as he closed the door and walked around the car to the driver's side door.

"Comfy?" he asked as he slipped into the driver's seat.

"Yes. This is a really nice car."

"Thank you," he grinned. "This is my baby."

As we were cruising down the street, he flipped through the radio stations and found a Beatles song playing on one of them. I happened to love the Beatles; John was my favorite. Before we moved here I saw a neighbor about to throw one of their records away. I was shocked and when I asked him why, he said he didn't like it and didn't see any reason to keep it. I asked him if I could have it and he simply shrugged and handed it over to me. I must have been beaming for a week over my stroke of luck.

I found myself subconsciously singing along with the song, and when I realized what I was doing, I was horrified. I didn't have that great of a voice, and I was sure that with my mangling of the melody I had just turned Bob off of the Beatles – and me – for good. _Oh my god, why do I have to act like a freak around him_? Thankfully, instead of making fun of my lousy singing abilities he just flashed me a grin and started singing himself. Whether he was off-key on purpose or not, I couldn't tell, but I smiled and started singing again, more comfortable this time. He seemed to have a knack for making me smile already.

We pulled in to a really nice diner; I hadn't seen the inside yet, but just looking at the immaculate outside I felt woefully out of place. Either Bob didn't notice my hesitation or he wanted to ease it without making it a big deal. He said nothing to me about it, just opened the door for me, wearing that smile that always seemed to be on his face, and offered me his hand to help me out of the car. I smiled back at him and accepted his hand, his touch making me shy all of a sudden, and mumbled my thanks.

"You know, you can leave your books in the car," he suggested, half-chuckling, and I felt my ears turn red with embarrassment as I realized I was still holding my sack.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I apologized, throwing the sack into the passenger's seat through the open window.

"Naw, don't worry 'bout it," he said, offering me the crook of his arm before leading me into the diner.

Music was playing at a low level in the background, and the place hummed with after-school activity. At first, I felt a little out of place, especially as Bob received a lot of attention as he entered, but he smoothly led me to a booth where it seemed most people were content to leave us be. The leather seats were so soft you'd want to just curl up on one and stay there forever. Bob sat down across from me after giving a final wave to one of his buddies.

"Here, pick a song," he said, putting some money into the little jukebox sitting on the table.

I scrolled through the songs, pondering a Beatles song, when I saw Buddy Holly. I loved the Beatles, but Buddy Holly was my first and biggest love in music. "Dearest" was possibly my favorite song by him, and I smiled shyly and said, "I hope you don't mind an oldie." I pressed the button and the gentle guitar melody floated through the jukebox, and I instantly relaxed.

"A girl after my own heart." He snagged a waitress and ordered us a couple of cokes. "Do you want anything else?" he asked, and I declined the offer of food. There was no way I was going to eat in front of him. Hungry as I was, I knew I'd quickly scarf down anything set before me and I didn't want to look like a pig in front of _him_. Besides, I didn't need a handout from anyone. The waitress left us with an awkward silence, and I twisted my hands in my lap, a nervous habit of mine.

"Hey, I forgot to ask you, do you need to call your parents and let them know that you'll be late?"

_My parents, worry about _me? _Heh, and since when did hell freeze over?_ "Oh, no, they don't really care what time I get home."

"Oh, mine don't really care, either, and sometimes I just kinda forget that other people's parents are different … ya know?"

"Yeah." I paused before I added, "Thank you for being considerate, though." Bob smiled at the compliment, and I couldn't help the blush. Though I felt awkward in such a social setting, his smile was helping me relax a little.

Soon after we got our drinks, a couple of guys came over to our table, presumably friends of Bob, and greeted us with loud and boisterous laughter. "Hey, Bob! How ya doin?" the sandy blond said, slapping his back.

"As ok as I can be after the first day of school," Bob replied. He turned his attention back to me and smiled warmly, winking before turning back to his buddies. "I know I haven't introduced you guys, yet. This is Anne Larson, she's new in town. Anne, this is Michael and David," he said, pointing at the sandy blond and the mousy brown haired one respectively.

The guys nodded acknowledgement in my direction, and I nodded politely. I was shy, and not usually very good with strangers; they had to reach out to me, I never reached out to anyone. I quietly sipped on my coke as the boys talked about football for a few minutes before the boys excused themselves and headed over to a table of attractive girls.

I wasn't really one for chitchat, so I didn't know what to say to him after that. It felt awkward with that silence between us, but I didn't know how to break it. Bob peppered me with questions, but we couldn't manage to keep the conversation going for too long without falling back into that awkwardness. The fact that I couldn't do something so simple as maintaining a steady conversation with another person annoyed me to no end. Bob didn't seem annoyed or anything like that, though, instead he seemed relaxed and comfortable, and more than willing to prod me with questions.

"When did you move here?"

"Oh, uh … about a month ago."

"Really? Why?"

"Well, you see, my grandmother died, so my mother inherited the house."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"No, it's ok. I didn't really know her …" I played with my straw, not sure how to complete that. _God, more awkward silence … I need to learn how to talk to people._

"So where are you from?"

"New Galilee, Pennsylvania."

"Never heard of it."

I chuckled. "I'm not surprised. It's a small town."

I was done with my coke, and I started playing with the straw to distract myself from the awkward silence. I listened to the ice clinking against the glass as I twirled the straw between my fingers.

"Do you want another?" Bob asked.

"Oh, no, I'm good," I said, smiling when I saw his now-famous grin staring back at me. My stomach felt like it was in knots, and I bit my lip, reminding myself to not do anything stupid. The last thing I wanted to do was scare him off, or worse, make him think I wasn't interested in him. A new boyfriend would definitely make me feel better about being in a new town.

Bob finished his drink in a few more sips and then asked me where I lived, so he could drop me off.

I was instantly horrified; my house was in no condition to show to anyone, much less a guy I liked. The wood shingles were in disarray – some of them missing – and I was constantly afraid that the steps or the porch would give out under me. My neighbors probably thought I was a ball of energy when they watched me bound up the steps and over the porch into the house, but I really just didn't want to be lolling around on the steps or the porch when it finally decided to cave. Considering the car he drove, I knew he lived in a much better place than I did, and I knew that if I had to show him where I went home every night, I would be embarrassed.

"Um … uh, no, that's ok; could you just take me back to the school?"

A disappointed look crossed his face. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I … I still get turned around because of the new town and all. Walking home from the school is kind of … grounding, if that makes sense."

"I guess, but I could just drive to the school and then …"

I knew where he was going with that line of thought, and I needed it stopped then and there. "Oh, no, no, that's not necessary."

He looked a little crestfallen, so I added, "But thank you for the thought." I smiled and dug a pen out of the pocket of my skirt. Grabbing a napkin, I wrote down my phone number to give to him to make up for not letting him drive me home. I was a little paranoid that my mother or Joe would answer, but I knew that was highly unlikely; they never answered the damn phone as it was, and I was willing to risk it to show Bob that I was interested.

When I was done, I pushed the napkin over to him. "You can call me."

He smiled again, a thousand-watt smile, and I couldn't help the giggle that came from my throat.

"Thanks, Anne," he said, seemingly genuinely happy with my little gift.

The ride back to the school was considerably more comfortable than the ride to Rusty's. Along the way, he suggested that I go out for cheerleading, but I balked.

Not only was it way above the limit of being affordable for me – though I wasn't going to tell him that – it just didn't suit me, and I told him so. "I … don't think so. It's not really me."

"And why is that?"

"Because cheerleaders are outgoing and sociable and pretty and athletic, and I'm none of the above."

"Oh come on, you're plenty pretty, and athleticism is something you can work on if you put your mind to it."

I shook my head. Damn it, he had a way of getting through my defenses. I had to distract him. "I just don't think it would suit me very well. I'm more of a musical person, anyway."

"Musical? Like, singing?"

I had to laugh at that; had he forgotten the earlier incident when I was singing along with the Beatles? "No, I play the cello."

"Really, now?"

I nodded. "Yep. My mother played, and she gave me her cello and taught me a long time ago." I smiled as I remembered days past, but the smile faded as I remembered what my mother had turned into: a junkie with no hope and no future, scuttling around from man to man to provide for me in her own way. We used to laugh all the time.

But that was a long time ago. Things had changed. There was no laughter anymore.

"We're here," Bob's voice broke through my thoughts.

I smiled and said, "Thanks." Heaving a couple of books that wouldn't fit in my sack into my arms, I opened the door and carefully got out, trying not to trip over my clumsy feet.

"Are you _sure_ you don't want me to drive you home?" He certainly was persistent, something that both touched and annoyed me at the same time. I just hoped my refusal wouldn't make him think I wasn't interested in him.

"Thanks for the offer, but that's ok. I like walking, and it's a nice day."

"Alright, then, take care." I closed the door and he slowly drove away. I watched him until he faded in the distance before turning around for the trek home.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: everything but Anne belongs to Ms. Hinton. I don't make any monies off of this.

A/N: Editing took a little bit longer than expected, but here it is. Now you'll get a little glimpse into Anne's homelife. I hope you enjoy it. :) Thank you, RileysMomma, for being my ever-patient beta.

* * *

_Wow everything's going so fast … is it really still the same day?_ It felt like a week had passed since the bully had knocked my books over and Two-Bit had picked them up. It felt like a few days at least since Bob sat down at my table at lunch. But, no, that had all happened today.

Walking home was a little bit of a trek, but the going wasn't too bad. I wasn't really looking forward to it in the winter, but perhaps I could find someone to drive me to school by then.

_Heh, yeah right,_ I thought. _The only reason I met the people I've met today is because they took the effort to talk to me, not the other way around. If I'm relying on my social abilities, I'm going to have to invest in a warmer coat._

I also dreaded walking past _that_ house. An intimidating hood lived a couple of blocks away from my house, and I did my best not to look in that direction whenever I had to pass it. Today was no different, but when I glanced up toward the end of the block, _he_ was out there, nonchalantly smoking a cigarette. His curly black hair was barely tamed by the grease, and it looked to me like he'd needed a bucket load to tame it as well as he had. He had a younger brother, too, almost a spitting image of him, but he wasn't as intimidating as _he_ was.

I kept my head down and walked as quickly as I could. _Please leave me alone, leave me alone, leave me alone,_ I chanted in my head, hoping that the hood would barely even notice my passing. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him flick his cigarette onto the sidewalk, into my path. I sidestepped it without a word, and thankfully he said nothing to me.

When I reached the end of that block, I let out a big breath and continued on to my own house.

I paused at the bottom of the steps, taking a breath before quickly bounding up them, over the porch, and dashing through the door. A series of creaks and squeaks followed me until I leapt over the threshold.

My mother walked out into the hall from the living room to greet me, and I sighed. I had been hoping to get here before she started shooting up again so I could have my real mother back – if only for a little while – but she was as strung out as ever.

Giving me a confused smile, she said, "Hi, Anne."

"Hi, Ma."

"Where have ya been, honey?"

My heart sank with disappointment as I realized she didn't even know. "School, Ma, today was the first day," I explained calmly and slowly.

"Oh." Her face went blank as she was processing this information.

While she pondered this, I went into the kitchen, dumped my sack and my books on the counter, and fished for a glass for some milk that I thought we might still have.

Opening the nearly bare refrigerator, I saw that we didn't have any milk like I had previously thought, and I sighed with disappointment. It was one of the little luxuries that I allowed myself to enjoy, but there was none. I backtracked to the sink instead and filled my glass with water. "Hey, Ma, where's Joe?" I asked as she stepped into the kitchen with me.

"Oh, he's out …"

She noticeably didn't finish the sentence. Either he was out getting more drugs or she had no idea where he was. I wished she had left him in Pennsylvania, but I wasn't that lucky. I had to make my own luck; that involved graduating and going to college … which meant that I needed to do my homework.

Gathering my things and my glass of water, I left my mother standing in the kitchen and walked up the stairs and into my room, the last room on the left. It was kind of small, but that didn't matter as I didn't really have much to begin with. A small dresser and corresponding mirror sat opposite my bed, and a hope chest was at the foot of my bed, an antique in its own right. A full length mirror was tucked in the corner between my bed and the window, and a nightstand sat to the right of my bed to provide a place for my alarm clock and a lamp. An old, worn-out parlor chair sat near the window, and a small bookshelf sat near it. The bookshelf was supposed to be hung up on the wall, but I wasn't sure how to do that and it worked perfectly fine where it was so I didn't give it a second thought. A record player rested in the corner across from the mirror, with a stack of records on the floor. They all used to belong to my mother, and I managed to hide them when she went scrounging around for things to sell for drug money. I didn't have a desk or anything like that, so I simply sat on my bed to do my homework. If I'd only had a little homework, I would have sat in the chair so I could look out the window in between answering questions, but today I needed the space to spread things out a little.

My stomach growled again, and I mentally pleaded with it to be silent. I had enough trouble concentrating on math without being distracted by hunger pains. I furrowed my brows and concentrated on the numbers on the page.

I had just finished math and had moved on to history when the front door opened and slammed shut. The sudden noise startled me, making me drop my pen and lose my place in the text. It was Joe, and from the sounds of his stumbling, he was pretty drunk. He wouldn't come upstairs in that condition; he would probably end up passing out on the couch watching TV, as usual. He wasn't usually an angry drunk, only if he drank whiskey or bourbon. Most of the time he was just a "leave-me-alone-and-let-me-pass-out" kind of drunk and that suited me just fine. I picked my pen up again and continued with the note I was writing when I heard shouting downstairs.

Being as I was in a back room upstairs, I couldn't hear them very clearly, but I did hear Joe say, "Here's your damn shit, woman, now leave me the fuck alone!"

Ah, now that explained it. Mother must have been bugging him for her drugs that he had picked up for her while he was out. Now that she had them, she would leave Joe alone to pass out while she shot up again, which meant that the house would see relative peace until morning. When Joe woke up with a hell of a hangover, which he was bound to do, he would be hell on two legs; fortunately, I would be long gone by then, safe at school.

Thank God for that haven.

Once again I returned to my notes and the history book, content to ignore the "downstairs occupants" as I referred to them in my head. I had enough to worry about with my homework; I didn't need a clingy, drug-addicted mother and her alcoholic boyfriend making things more complicated than they already were. As soon as I could, I was going to get away from here; in the meantime, I would do anything I could to separate myself from my Mother's world.

In Pennsylvania, I had worked at a local convenience store for a little money that I would stash away for college. I never used it, not even to buy food, because that money and my good grades were going to be my ticket out of here. I needed to find a job in this town, too, but I had to be very careful. Joe was very possessive; he was one of those types that thought that anything and everything that came into the house belonged to him. If he found out I was hoarding money, he'd have one hell of a conniption fit and take it, and I couldn't have that.

This paranoia had led to me hiding it in several places, never in large amounts. It carried a little more risk of being caught, but at least if I was caught, I wouldn't lose everything I had worked so carefully for, which was something I just couldn't allow to happen.

I sighed as I closed my last textbook for the evening, laying down and stretching out on my bed to relieve my tense muscles. It wasn't twilight yet; sunshine still streamed through the window. _Thank god I got my homework done already. Even if it's pretty light, homework on the first day of school should still be outlawed._

The rest of the evening went quietly. I scoured a newspaper I scored out of a garbage can for part-time jobs and found a few interesting leads. That would be my first priority tomorrow after school, calling around to get an interview for a job. After all, with no money to help me get into college, my good grades were fairly useless. I might be able to earn a scholarship in the future based on my grades, but I preferred to have a plan b just in case; I hadn't gotten this far without planning ahead.

As gentle twilight gave way to night, I sat in my chair, reading a book, preferring not to disturb the downstairs occupants. I paused to look out the window, watching cars drive back and forth and streetlamps come on, one after the other. I settled my forehead against the pane of glass; this is not where I wanted to be, but I had to stay here for a little while longer. I promised myself that I would not stay in this place and situation longer than necessary, and I meant to keep that promise. I loved my mother dearly, but she had to help herself. We all had to help ourselves. We couldn't expect handouts or live off the kindness of others; we had to make it ourselves.

And I was determined to make it.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Everything but Anne and her world belongs to Susie. I don't make a cent off of this.

A/N: Thanks, as always, to my beta, RileysMomma, for her wonderful comments :)

* * *

At lunch the next day I was happy to find that my table was free. It was perfectly tucked into a corner so I could stay out of the way of the popular kids and the troublemakers. Once again, I had no lunch so I simply took my homework with me and started on it. Math always gave me problems; I usually spent extra time on it, so it was my first priority. Scrunching my brow, I concentrated on the figures on the page, trying to make sense of them. I was pulled from my thoughts when a familiar voice said, "Hey, don't concentrate too hard; wouldn't want your hair to catch fire." I looked up to see Bob standing at the table.

I couldn't help the smile that crept onto my face when I saw him. "Oh; hi. I didn't see you there."

His grin turned into a full-on smile as he held my gaze. "How's it goin?"

"Ok, I guess. I hate math."

He laughed at my frankness. "Yeah, it's not exactly my favorite subject, either." Someone from the other side of the cafeteria called to him, and he shouted back, "Be right there!" He turned to me and said, "Hey, I gotta split. I'll call ya tonight, ok?"

I nodded, butterflies alighting in my stomach. "Ok, sure."

He flashed me that gorgeous grin and winked. "Talk to ya then." My stomach was doing flips as I tried desperately to shove my brain back into algebra mode. I really, really hoped that Mother and Joe would be quiet tonight; I didn't really want them yelling in the background as I was talking to Bob. That would be downright embarrassing.

After school, Bob was waiting at the bottom of the steps and he approached me as soon as I stepped out of the doors. "Hey, would you like a ride home?"

Crap, he wasn't going to give up. "Oh, no, honestly, I like to walk as much as possible; especially while we've got such nice weather."

He chuckled. "Well, one of these days when it's not-so-nice, you'll have to give me the pleasure." He winked at me one more time before heading off to the parking lot.

I watched him leave and sighed, hoping that I didn't put him off because of my continued refusal to let him drive me home. He seemed to be thoughtful to a fault, and now I was going to have to think up an excuse in case it rains one of these days. I sighed and shook my head. _Goddamn good guys, always keeping you on your toes._

I started kicking pieces of gravel on the sidewalk as I walked home. _You know, he's going to start thinking you aren't interested if you never let him drive you home._ Kick. _You can't keep him away forever_. Kick. _But who knows, maybe he'll be ok with it_. Kick. _But that would mean he's perfect and we all know that there's no such thing as the perfect guy._ Kick.

My thoughts were starting to depress me to the point I didn't even notice the hood that I dreaded standing in front of me until I ran into him. I froze for a split second, horrified as my books scattered and he turned around with a dangerous glint in his eye. _Oh god._ "I-I'm sorry. I-"

"You're that new girl, right? Just moved in a couple blocks down?" he asked smoothly, taking a puff on his cigarette.

I nodded. "Yes." I tried to remain calm, but inside I was freaking out. Here was that dangerous hood that I'd been trying so hard to avoid, and I had literally run into him. _Good going, Anne, way to keep your distance._

"Hmm." Another puff. "What's your name?"

"Anne."

"Anne," he repeated. He looked off into the distance and then back at me before he replied, "Well, you best be careful where you're walkin, Anne; you don't wanna ruin your school books."

I blinked at him, blindsided. "What?"

"I said you don't wanna ruin your school books." He pointed to the ground, where my books lay scattered.

"Oh." I quickly stooped down to gather them up.

I swore my ears must have been bright red, and I heard him chuckle. "Hey, don't worry about me. I'm the last person you gotta worry about."

I stood up, my books gathered in my arms. "Then who do I have to worry about?"

He grinned at me, but the affect wasn't the same as Bob's. He had a rough, dangerous smile that oozed with a calm intimidation that must have been acquired through years of practice. "Only people you gotta worry about around here is socs."

That was a new word. "Socs?"

"Yeah. Pissant rich kids ridin' around in their brand-new Mustangs and Corvairs; rubbing their money in people's faces." He paused to chuckle before he commented. "Bastards." A car horn blared across the street, and the hood flicked his cigarette away. "Well, finally, took him long enough," he mumbled before he crossed the street and got into the car, leaving me standing on the sidewalk.

My mind whirled as I neared home. I wasn't sure why, but the hood's words stuck with me and I couldn't get rid of them. They circled in my head like vultures, bits and pieces replaying through my mind until one bit of information hit me like a ton of bricks.

I could almost hear the hood's rough, gravelly voice as his words echoed in my head _... riding around in their brand-new Mustangs and Corvairs ..._

Corvairs. Bob had a brand-new black Corvair. I wasn't sure why, but my heart clenched; was Bob a soc? If so, what did that mean for me and him? Obviously, I wasn't a soc, or anywhere near one. Surely he wouldn't ... would he?

I didn't even want to consider that, not even for a moment. I hadn't known him long, but I knew that I was falling for him. I couldn't let this get in the way, I just couldn't! Now that things were actually starting to look up, I didn't want them to stop.

Pausing at the bottom of the steps again, I gathered my breath and cleared my mind. As I cleared the threshold, I let everything go.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own nothing, save for Anne and her little world. Everything else belongs to Susie. :)

A/N: I want to acknowledge, as always, my lovely beta, RileysMomma, for helping me out with her wonderful beta comments. :P *lots and lots of pie for the beta*

* * *

I didn't see my mother or Joe when I walked in. They weren't back in the living room or in their room so I shrugged and headed to the kitchen. I was going to set up camp in there for tonight; I didn't feel like rushing downstairs and possibly disturbing the downstairs occupants when Bob called.

First things first, though; I whipped out the newspaper I had stashed in my bag and searched until I found what I was looking for. Hoping that Bob wasn't going to call right away, I called the numbers that I had circled, hoping to get a lead on a job. A couple of them were downright unhelpful and a few of them were fairly indifferent, but one of them was actually very nice to me and asked me for an interview. It was the position at the library – one that I had been hoping for, being that I loved books – and by the end of the conversation I was very happy with how it went.

Now that _that_ was done, it was down to business.

Opening my book, I sighed. I had gotten most of my math homework done, but there were a few problems left yet. And they were word problems; I hated word problems with a passion.

Though from outward appearance I would appear to be grappling with my homework, my mind was still on what the hood had said to me. I still didn't really understand but I had a sneaking suspicion that it involved me a lot more than I thought. Would Bob treat me any differently if it turned out he was a soc and I wasn't? He'd always been such a nice guy when we were together; I didn't want to believe it.

I shook my head. Why I was dwelling on the words of a hood I didn't even know, I couldn't tell you. I didn't even know the hood's name and here I was worried sick over something he said. Things just seem to get to me sometimes, no matter how hard I try to not let it. I should just trust Bob. After all, wouldn't he have been able to tell that I wasn't rich by now? I didn't dress sloppy – I even made sure that my mary janes didn't have any scuffs on them – but my skirts and blouses were all very plain and dull, far from the bright colors and catching designs on the skirts and sweaters of most of my classmates. I didn't even have a hair dryer or a set of hot rollers to fix my hair up, not that it would have really mattered; my hair hadn't seen a pair of scissors since the last time I had nervously trimmed it. Other than that, I just let it grow. Most of the time I just pulled it back into a ponytail anyway, letting my long bangs hang free. They kind of bugged me, but after my last bang cutting fiasco I was too scared to try to cut them to a proper length myself, and I certainly couldn't afford to spend the money on getting my hair done like most of the girls my age.

Ugh, I wasn't concentrating on my homework again; I sighed, putting my pen down and rubbing my eyes. I began to wonder briefly when Bob was going to call when the phone happened to ring.

I looked at it, almost frozen, letting it ring a few times before I timidly answered, "Hello?"

"Anne?" a familiar voice asked.

"Yes, it's me."

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Oh, no, just a little homework is all, and I don't mind being interrupted from that." I heard him chuckle over the line, and I had to smile; it was good to hear his voice.

We chatted for a few minutes about school and similar subjects. I was surprised that I was talking so much, but I wasn't really about to question it. I liked Bob and I was trying not to act like a freak around him. Over the course of two days he had unapologetically stolen my heart and I was completely taken with him.

"Well, hey, I got a question for ya," he said.

"What is it?"

"Would you like to go to the movies with me this weekend?"

I was speechless for a moment; would I ever like to go with him!

"Anne, are you still there?" I heard him ask, and I mentally smacked myself for leaving him hanging.

"Yes, of course! I'd love to go with you."

"Great! Would you like me to pick you up at your house?"

Shit, was that why he asked me? I wasn't sure how to reply, when I was suddenly interrupted by my mother and Joe walking into the house, drunk as all hell and probably high to boot. I instantly went into panic mode; I didn't want him to hear this commotion!

"Um, I've gotta go, I'm sorry. I'll talk to you at school, ok?"

"Uh, ok, is everything alright over there?" I could hear worry coloring his voice and I felt bad.

Trying to sound as reassuring as possible, I replied, "Yeah, everything's fine, I just gotta go. Bye!"

I quickly hung up before I heard him say goodbye and took a deep breath. That was too close; damn them! At least it would give me some time to think up an excuse to meet him elsewhere. I just didn't relish the thought of getting the third degree at school tomorrow.

I sat down at the kitchen table again; I was all set up down here, I might as well finish my homework. I only had a little bit left, anyway.

I squinted down at the text before me, concentrating on the lesson and writing out my notes carefully in my notebook for further review later. At my old school, we were allowed to highlight and underline in our books, but not here, so I had to write everything down. Oh well, it was for the best, anyway, I seemed to remember better if I wrote it down.

I was enveloped in science when Joe drunkenly stumbled into the kitchen. I shuddered at the sight of him; bleary-eyed and unshaven, he repulsed me to no end. How my mother put up with him, I didn't know. How she could share a bed with him – and let him touch her – without throwing up was something I'd never understand. I guess the heroin made her blind.

"Where's tha rum?" he asked, slurring so badly he was spitting all over the place.

"I don't think we have any more," I replied.

Disgruntled, he went to the cabinet where the alcohol was usually kept and found it bare. "Where's tha rum? Why's it gone?" he demanded, his voice rising in volume with his anger.

"There isn't any damn rum," I replied, exasperated by his drunken state. He wasn't the brightest bulb in the chandelier, and being drunk only made it worse. "I think there's still a few beers in the refrigerator, though."

He stumbled over to the refrigerator and opened it, peering inside it for a few minutes until he spotted what he was looking for. Grabbing two of them, he closed the door and looked at me for a few moments. "You're a good kid," he told me before he disappeared into the living room.

I let out the breath I'd been holding, closing my eyes and willing my hands to stop shaking. Joe was so unpredictable when he was drunk; he could be your best friend one moment and then rail on you for any reason the next.

Everything quieted down after that and I heard the TV blaring in the background as I finished up my homework. It seemed almost peaceful.

I made some toast for myself for supper – since we didn't have anything else – and gathered up my things and headed upstairs. I preferred to be alone as much as possible at night so I could read and listen to some music before I went to sleep. Tonight I felt like Frank Sinatra, so I rifled through the records and slipped one on. It wasn't near time to go to bed yet but I slipped on my white nightgown and brushed my hair before grabbing my book and settling beneath the blankets, munching on the toast as I read while Frankie's dreamy voice blanketed the room. My stomach ached for more than just two pieces of toast, but I ignored it and concentrated on the book instead. When I got out of here, I would eat three meals a day, I promised myself. But, until then, I had to be content with what I had.

I sighed; I was doing a lot of that lately, settling for what I had even though it wasn't good. I hated doing it but it wasn't like I had a choice. I kept promising myself better but I wondered if I would ever get it. I felt that I deserved it, and I worked hard for it, but lord knows there's hardworking people out there that barely get by and have to just settle like I do.

Hardly seems fair, but then again, lord knows life isn't that way.

I stared down at the page, and realized I had no idea where I was or what was going on in the book. I was getting nowhere fast, it seemed, and I decided to forego tonight's chapter and just go to bed. Taking off the record, I settled in between the sheets before reaching up and shutting off the lamp at my bedside. It was the only light in the room since I had no overhead light, another luxury I was denied at the moment. Curling up on my side, I gazed absent-mindedly out the window, watching the moonlight stream in. I didn't like being melancholy, but it seemed to be the mood of the moment as my worries ate away at me inside. Groaning, I rolled over and thought about Bob instead.

I fell asleep with a smile on my face.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Nothing but my own OCs belong to me. Everything else is courtesy of Susie.

A/N: I was going to hold out on this until Good Fic Day, but I ended up writing a one-shot especially for the occasion, so I'm posting this. As a special treat, it's longer than past chapters. :) Thanks, as always, goes to RileysMomma for helping me with editing and revising the results of NaNoWriMo 2008.

* * *

The next morning I quietly tiptoed through the house, trying not to disturb the downstairs occupants as much as possible. I didn't even put my shoes on until I was near the door, afraid that I would accidentally scuff the bottom of my shoe and wake them. I wasn't so much scared of my mother as much as I was scared of Joe. My mother would just ask me what was going on and then go back to bed and pass out like nothing had happened. Joe, on the other hand, would come raging down the hallway, ready to put his foot up my ass for disturbing his much-needed rest after his carousing.

The morning air was fairly brisk as I walked to school, and I wished that I had brought a sweater. It probably wasn't that cold, but I was sensitive to chill. Living in Pennsylvania had been hell in the winter, and I hoped that the winters here would be a good deal milder.

As I rounded the block the school was situated on, I saw a familiar figure at the bottom of the steps. Two-Bit leaned against the railing, talking to two other guys, a brunette and a blond. He noticed me and gave me a wink as I walked by. I smiled shyly at him and was headed up the steps when he called out to me. "Hey, Anne!"

I turned around to face him. "Yes?"

"You're here awfully early this morning."

I shrugged. "Got ready a little quicker, I suppose."

He grinned and then motioned to the two guys standing next to him. "I'd like you to meet two of my buddies. This here is Steve," he said, motioning to the brunette. "And this here is Sodapop," he added, indicating the blond.

"Sodapop?" I asked in disbelief; this guy had to be kidding!

Sodapop broke into a grin, "Yup, that's what it says on my birth certificate."

I found myself in a rare witty mood and turned my attention to Steve. "With friends like Two-Bit and Sodapop, I'm surprised you don't have an odd name."

He chuckled, flashing slightly crooked teeth at me. "These two are just characters, don't listen to them."

"I'll try not to, then." I bit my lower lip, unsure of what to say or do next. I opted for dismissing myself to my locker. "Well, I gotta grab some books. I'll see you in class, Two-Bit."

"Sure thang," he replied before turning back to his buddies.

Standing at my locker, I took a deep breath as I ran through the combination on the lock. I grabbed the books that I needed, deposited the ones that I didn't, and slammed the door shut and spun the combination. As I turned around to head to class I ran headlong into Bob.

I jumped, startled, not expecting him there. "Whoa, where's the fire?" he asked.

"Sorry! I didn't notice you standing right there." I could feel my ears starting to turn red from embarrassment as I almost fumbled my books.

He flashed me a grin as if to say, _It's all cool_.

I grinned back, happy to see him. I still had several minutes until class; I could afford Bob some time. We walked together to my first class and I couldn't be happier about being near him. I noticed that several people eyed us as we walked past them; I guess a football player garnered a lot of attention. We chatted quietly between ourselves for a few moments before he finally asked me what I was dreading.

"So, hey, what was going on last night? Why'd you have to go so quickly? And what was all that racket in the background?"

"Oh, um, that was my mother."

"Your mother?"

"Yes, she was ... just coming in ... with some groceries. She was having some trouble with them and I needed to help her." I felt like I had said the last part a little too fast, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Ah," he said in understanding. "So, what about this weekend?"

"Oh, um, actually ..." I had my interview at the library that day. It was earlier than what he was probably planning on picking me up so I wasn't worried about the time, but I didn't really want to tell him that I was going to get a job. It just seemed demeaning, in some way, to let him – a rich kid – know that I needed a job. "I was planning on going down to the library earlier on that day."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I like reading and I wanted to check it out. Anyway, I was thinking it would probably be easier if you picked me up there, so I wouldn't have to go all the way home."

"Sure, that's sounds fine."

We worked out the time as we approached the door. I turned around to look at him before I went into class. "I guess I'll see you," I said awkwardly, not sure how to say goodbye.

"Yeah, see you later, at lunch."

I nodded and turned around to walk into the classroom. I felt like I was walking on air as I floated to my desk, Two-Bit parked in the desk beside me as usual. He broke into a smile as I sat down. "Ah, got ourselves a fancy shmancy socy boyfriend, huh?"

My ears burned, and I looked down at the desk, avoiding his gaze. I still didn't really get why people made such a big deal out of socs.

"Hey, don't worry, I'll keep your little secret," he said with a wink.

I opened my mouth to thank him, but the bell rang, so I quickly mouthed it and opened my notebook.

--

_Ugh, this math homework is going to be the death of me_, I thought as I lugged my book to the lunchroom. Book, singular; I knew that it would be a miracle if I even managed to finish my math homework before lunch was over, so I didn't bother with hauling more books than was necessary. And if Bob was intent on talking, I probably wouldn't even get it halfway done.

Sitting down at my usual seat, I plunked down my book and notebook, and opened them up to the ghastly horror that was math. Groaning, I started out with the first problem on the page, hoping to get as much done as possible. I didn't understand why we had to learn all of this algebra crap anyway. I knew I was likely never, ever going to use it outside of high school; why couldn't they just save this shit for college?

Heh, I don't know why I even thought that things should make sense; I should know better. Life sucks, it doesn't make sense and it isn't fair; that's just the way it is.

Soon enough, a familiar body set itself down in the seat across from me and I smiled at the sight of him. He was wearing a light blue sweater today and it seemed to really bring out the blue in his eyes. "So how is math going today?"

"Same as always ... slowly and with great effort."

"I feel ya." He flashed me his trademark grin, and I felt like I was melting inside. No matter how bad I was feeling, so far Bob seemed to be able to turn everything around. "So, where's your lunch?"

"What?"

"Your lunch? You don't have one ..."

"Oh!" I laughed. "I forgot to pack one this morning."

"Would you like something?"

"Oh, no, I'm ok. I'll eat something when I get home."

"You sure?" His smile threatened to melt through my resolve.

"I'm sure." I smiled back; my resolve was stronger. After our conversation this morning, I was a little more confident that he wasn't put off by my refusal.

I twiddled my pen between my fingers, not sure what else to say, when Bob said, "Hey, wait a sec, I want you to meet someone." He quickly slipped out of his seat to flag someone down and returned with another guy in tow. "I've been wanting to introduce you two for a little while. Anne, this is my best friend, Randy Adderson. Randy, this is Anne Larson."

Randy was tall, taller than Bob, and more lean. His hair almost looked like a Beatles haircut and it was a glossy brown. His red shirt contrasted nicely with his tan skin and his light brown eyes seemed friendly enough.

Randy stuck out his hand in greeting. "Nice to meet you, Anne."

I timidly shook his hand in return. "It's nice to meet you, too." He was more intimidating than Bob was, and he made me a little uncomfortable.

He then turned to Bob and said, "So this is the girl you've been talking about, huh?"

I think both Bob and I blushed at the same time, but I couldn't be for sure, as I fixed my eyes on the table, firmly concentrating on the lines in my notebook.

"Oh, don't worry," Randy assured, "it's all been good. Speaking of, do you think you'll do the talent show?"

"The what?"

"The talent show. It's much later on in the year; I was just wondering if you were going to play the cello for it."

"Oh, um ... well, I don't know. I didn't know about it."

"C'mon, Anne, I bet you'd be really good," Bob encouraged.

I grinned at him. "Maybe."

My answer seemed to satisfy him and he flashed that gorgeous smile at me again. God, if he kept doing that, I was just going to keel over from the warm fuzzies one of these days.

Randy excused himself to go sit with what appeared to be his girlfriend and a couple of other friends, and Bob sat back down.

"So why aren't _you_ eating lunch?" I asked him.

"Hmm?" he asked.

I chuckled. "You get on me for not having a lunch but you don't have one yourself."

He laughed. "Big breakfast this morning. Pancakes and bacon. I can't resist that," he added with a wink.

Inside, I was drooling. I couldn't even remember the last time I had pancakes or bacon, much less at the same time. Some people just have all the lucky breaks.

The bell rang far too soon and I noticed with despair that I only had _maybe_ a quarter of the problems done; I was going to have a lot to do at home tonight.

The last few classes were such a struggle to pay attention in. Mainly because Two-Bit was actively trying to liven things up, but all he was doing was getting dirty looks from the teacher and making me lose my place in the textbook.

When the last bell finally rang, I was more than happy to get out of there. I had a ton of homework tonight, and I wasn't really happy about the prospect of carrying all of those books home. My locker was almost empty by the time I had gotten out all of the books that I needed and I sighed in frustration as I slammed the door shut and spun the lock.

Two-Bit caught up with me in the halls and started chatting about something or another. I wasn't really paying that much attention as I was trying to juggle all of my books. A couple of them fit in my sack, but I had to carry the rest and they were a pain. I was dreading the walk to and from school and, in all honesty, I wished I was secure enough to let Bob drive me home.

Speak of the devil; he was waiting at the bottom of the steps when I walked out the door. Two-Bit bid me farewell and loped over to where his friends, Steve and Soda and a couple of other guys, were standing.

I greeted Bob with a smile when I got down to the last step and he returned it – though his smile didn't quite reach his eyes and his eyebrows were furrowed when he did. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"Was that grease bothering you?" he asked.

"Huh?" His question threw me for a loop as I was introduced to a new vocabulary word. _Now what the hell is a grease?_

"That greaser, over there," he said, indicating Two-Bit.

"Oh, no, he wasn't bothering me." I felt the need to expound on why we were talking. "We're in several classes together."

Bob nodded with acceptance of this information, but he still looked a little ill-at-ease. "Well, if he does start to bother you, just let me know."

"Ok, I will."

He paused for a moment. "So, are you going to let me drive you home today?" he asked with a grin as we both started walking in the general direction of the parking lot.

I chuckled. "Sorry to disappoint."

"You look like you have a lot of books there, though."

"Oh, it's nothing. It's fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Alright," he acquiesced. "But if you ever need a ride, don't hesitate to ask."

I grinned. "I won't."

"Promise?" he asked, stopping to face me.

"I promise." I was glad that he was interested in me, but his persistence was starting to annoy and fluster me.

He then did the most unexpected thing. I should have seen it coming from the way he kept looking at me, but it still caught me off-guard. My breath caught in my throat as he leaned down, and my eyes closed as I felt the softness of his lips against mine.

It was all over too quickly and he was grinning like a Cheshire cat. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow."

With that he walked toward his car where a couple of his buddies were waiting. I watched him for a moment, reaching up to touch my lips, which were still tingling.

_Wow_, was all I could think as I turned and headed towards home. I didn't even mind the hood as I floated past him and I didn't even hear the creaks and groans I elicited from the porch and the steps.

All I could think about was that kiss.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Nope, nothing but Anne and her little world belongs to me.

A/N: Thanks as always goes to RileysMomma for helping me with the beta work for this story. :)

* * *

I was really looking forward to the weekend; I couldn't remember being so excited for one date before. Sure, I'd had boyfriends and been on several dates, but never before had I felt so connected to someone as I did to Bob. I felt silly about how I felt about him; after all, I hadn't even known him a week. But I reasoned with myself that while I didn't know him much yet, I wanted to know more and that was what made me excited.

But first I had to get through my interview. I was exceedingly nervous as I dressed in my best clothes. Thank God my mother was the almost same size as I was when she was my age; I hadn't bought new clothes in forever, but thankfully I had plenty of hand me downs. Instead of the usual ponytail, I decided to put my hair up into a loose bun, leaving my long bangs out. To me, it seemed to make me look a bit more like a grown up, which I counted as a plus going into an interview.

When I was done, I inspected myself in the mirror. The makeup wouldn't hide the small light brown mole on my right cheek, but I had come to rather like it anyway. My left eyebrow had a very small split in it from an old injury when I was a child; I didn't have a scar, but the hair had never grown back, much to my frustration nowadays.

I grabbed the hairspray I had snatched from my mother and applied it lightly to set my hair. I remembered the way my mother used to always style her hair and make it look beautiful, but now she barely put forth the effort to keep it washed and brushed.

I stepped over to my full-length mirror and did a final check, making sure everything was straight and wrinkle-free. Satisfied that everything was in its place, I put the makeup and everything away and grabbed my sweater and my purse. I figured it might get a little chilly for me tonight, so I brought my sweater. It was soft and a nice, deep grey that went well with my skirt.

Slipping on my shoes, I crept down the stairwell, careful to not disturb the downstairs occupants as I snuck out the door.

The library was a bit far for walking, even for a nice day, so I decided to brave the bus, which would drop me off right at the library. I had never ridden a bus before in my life – my hometown was too small to require public transportation – and so I was a bit apprehensive. However, it was very uneventful; the bus driver was a bit gruff but once I paid my bus fare and sat down, he ignored me.

I looked out the window as we started off, absent-mindedly rubbing my thumb against my sweater. I knew that I would get to the interview in plenty of time but my stomach was still doing flips in anxiety. I kept fidgeting and I was sure that I was annoying the people sitting near to me so I tried to contain myself. However, I wasn't very successful and my leg kept bouncing.

I was surprised when somebody suddenly plopped down on the seat next to me and when I turned my head I found Two-Bit sitting there. "Hey, Anne, what's goin on?"

"Oh, not much," I replied.

"Yer awful fancied up today. What's the occasion?"

"I have an interview at the library," I replied. I tried not to laugh at the confused dumbfounded expression that crossed his face.

"You mean for a job?"

"Yeah, for a job."

"You're not dropping out of school, are ya?"

My eyes widened; I would never drop out! "Oh! No! It's just part-time, after school."

"That's tuff."

We lapsed into an awkward silence and I felt the need to keep the conversation going, so I grabbed at the first question my mind could compose. "Do you work?"

Two-Bit burst into boisterous laughter.

"I take it that's a no?" I asked.

"No, honey, I don't work," he said, settling down a little bit. "A job just isn't my style, ya dig?"

"I guess," I chuckled. When I thought about it, he really didn't seem like the kind of person who could work; he was distracted too easily and wanted to have fun too much to conform to a work environment.

"Don't you have a car?" I asked him. I had seen him and a couple of his friends hovering around an old clunker after school; I had assumed it was Two-Bit's car, since he always went to the driver's side.

He grinned. "Damn thing doesn't wanna work sometimes. I swear, if it's not one thing, it's another. I just got the starter fixed and then the transmission started to go, and, well, yesterday it went."

My eyes widened. "Oh! Did you crash?"

"Nah, I was almost home, I was able to just kinda coast it in the driveway. I'm having Steve take a look at it, but that's gotta wait until he gets off of work." He nudged my shoulder with his elbow. "That's the advantage and disadvantage of having a friend that works on cars; you get work done for dirt cheap, but ya gotta wait until after hours!"

We came to my stop, and I had to excuse myself. "Well, I've got to go, this is my stop." He got up in an almost gentlemanly manner so I didn't have to crawl over him. "I hope your car gets fixed, soon."

"Hey, you and me both, doll!"

I grinned, shook my head, and stepped off of the bus.

Looking up at the tall structure, I was intimidated already. I took a deep breath and then walked up the stairs and stepped into the building, taking in the library smell instantly. There was just that smell – that book smell – I had always loved so much.

I walked up to the front desk and told the older lady who I was and why I was there. She smiled nicely at me – she had been the same lady I had talked with on the phone when I had set up the interview – and she waved another clerk over to take over the front desk while she walked back to the office with me.

The interview went very well for me and she offered me the job at the end. I accepted enthusiastically, very happy to already have a job.

In an incredible feat of timing, Bob walked into the library as I was walking out of the office. I smiled and nodded acknowledgement in his direction as I bade the librarian – Ms. Avery – goodbye. She warmly shook my hand and then returned to the front desk as I strode towards Bob with the biggest smile on my face.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Only Anne and her little world belong to me, everything else belongs to Susie.

A/N: Thanks, as always, goes to my ever-patient beta, RileysMomma

* * *

He grinned back at me as I approached him and I instantly felt weak in the knees. "Are you ready?"

I nodded, "Yes. It's been a while since I've been to see a movie."

He chuckled at my enthusiasm. "Well, I'm glad you're excited," he replied, offering me the crook of his arm as we walked out of the library together.

"So, what movie are we going to see?" I asked after we had gotten into the car.

"It's a John Wayne western; it's called _The Sons of Katie Elder_. It came out this summer, but they're running it again this weekend.

"Have you seen it before?"

"Only once; I saw it when it first came out. It's pretty good, actually. I hope you enjoy it."

He flashed me a smile and I grinned back. _I'm sure I will,_ I thought.

"The theater we're going to is a drive-in, so it's not going to start until after dark. I figured we could hang at Rusty's until the sun sets."

I nodded in acquiescence. "Ok." I had a feeling that with my makeup and nicer clothes I wouldn't feel so out of place like I did when we first went there.

And I was right. I almost seemed to blend right in, though my clothes were a little more matronly than what some of what the other girls were wearing. It was definitely better than my plain white blouse and plain grey skirt that I had been wearing the first time. With my makeup and my hair done up more, I just felt much more at ease than last time.

After we ordered some cokes, Bob turned his attention toward me. "You look very nice."

My eyes found the table and I felt my ears grow warm. "Thank you."

He reached across the table and caressed my chin, drawing my eyes back up to him. "I mean it; you look really, really nice."

I smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"Where did you get the necklace?" he asked. I was puzzled for a moment until I realized that his sharp eyes must have spotted a glint of my locket.

"Oh, it belonged to my grandmother. I found it when I was going through her things," I replied. I took up the locket between my fingers to show him the swirly design on it.

He took the locket between his own fingers as he turned it over and examined it. "'RK' … your grandmother's initials?"

I nodded. "Ruby Keller."

"That's a nice name," he commented as he let it go to fall back in between the folds of my yellow blouse.

"Thanks."

We lapsed into silence for a bit and I ended up playing with a napkin as we waited for our drinks, which fortunately came soon.

He thanked the waitress and then asked her for two menus.

My ears pricked up and my mouth slightly opened in surprise as the waitress handed it to us.

He noticed my hesitation. "This movie is gonna run late. I'm not going to last that long without supper, and I'm sure you won't, either. So go ahead and get something, anything, I don't care."

I sighed, looking down at the menu. He did have a point, after all, and so I allowed myself to peruse the menu until I settled on a cheeseburger and fries.

He waved the waitress over and we gave her our order. She took our menus and then walked away to give our order to the cooks, and we again were left alone.

He put some money in the jukebox and selected "Dearest" again. I smiled as I realized he remembered one of my favorite songs. He smiled back at me and, almost timidly, stretched out his right hand to cover my left.

My eyes fell to the table again, and I'm sure my ears were at least pink by now, and I heard him chuckle. "You know, your shyness is endearing," he commented.

"What do you mean?" I asked, stealing a glance up at him.

"I mean, most girls are a little more forward, you know? They aren't as … reserved, as you are." He began stroking my hand as he spoke, "I want to know more about you. It's like putting together a puzzle … I get a little piece here and a little piece there, and I'm slowly putting it together to see who you really are." He reached out with his other hand to lift my chin. "And so far, I like what I see."

My ears burned and my eyes again sought the table. I could practically hear his smile, though I couldn't see it, and I smiled. _He feels the same way!_ I shouted in my head, my heart pounding almost painfully in my chest at this revelation.

The waitress came back with our food, and we fell into a comfortable silence as we ate. I forced myself to go slow, as I didn't want to look like a pig, especially since Bob had confessed that he liked me. Though we didn't speak, we kept stealing glances at each other and smiling, especially when the other person had some ketchup or mustard on their face.

"Would you like something else?" Bob asked after we finished and the waitress came to take our plates away.

"Oh, no, I'm good."

He turned to the waitress. "Just bring us the tab, then."

Nodding, she gathered our plates and trotted back to the kitchen.

Turning back to me, he gave me a grin and said, "I hope you're having fun tonight. I know I am."

I smiled back. "Yes, I am. I have a good time whenever I'm with you."

He gave me that thousand-watt smile, and I melted inside. "I love it when you smile. It suits your face."

I chuckled and blushed. He was the one that made me smile, but I didn't tell him that. I think he knew it, anyway.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Nothing but Anne and her world belongs to me. I don't make a cent off of this.

A/N: Chapter 10 will be a little bit longer in coming because (1) this is the last of the material that i wrote for NaNoWriMo (aside from two paragraphs for the opening of chapter 10), and (2) I'm planning on updating my sister-fic and my OMC fic first. Sorry in advance for any delay. Enjoy the story!

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The drive-in theater was a bit of a ways away from Rusty's so it left us with a nice, long car ride filled with music, laughter, and stolen glances. I wished that I had a picture of Bob; I loved his chiseled face, his square jaw, and high cheekbones. They accented his full lips and if I had been bolder, I would have kissed him. But I was too shy still and so I kept to myself during the car ride.

The drive-in wasn't too packed yet but there were a lot of people still trickling in after we found a good place to park. I pulled on my sweater, thankful that I had thought to bring it, as I was starting to feel a chill already.

"Are you cold?" Bob asked.

"A little bit," I admitted. "I get cold easily. I'm just glad I thought to bring my sweater."

"Do you want my jacket? I have it in the back seat …" he started to offer.

"No, I'm ok right now."

"Ok," he acquiesced. "But if you get too cold, let me know and I'll grab it for ya." He paused for a moment before he asked, "Would you like a coke or some popcorn?"

"Oh, no, I'm still full from dinner."

"All right. I am, too, but I thought I'd offer," he said with a wink.

Thoughtful to a fault, he definitely was. Every time we had gone out together he was always catering to my every need. He was the exact opposite of every man my mother had ever brought home. In fact, personality-wise, he was a lot like my father: caring and warm, with a charisma that attracted everyone to him. That was another thing about him that intrigued me; with his good looks and charm, he could probably have any girl in the school, and yet he chose me. I was flattered to say the least.

The crowd around us hushed to a whisper as the movie began. Bob stretched out his arms and rested his right one around my shoulders. As we watched John Wayne and Dean Martin light up the big screen, we scooted closer and closer to each other, stopping short of the small gap between our seats. Eventually, I started getting tired, so I rested my head on his shoulder. He shifted his head slightly to accommodate mine, and I swear I never felt more comfortable in my life. It was like it was just meant to be.

Suddenly, his head shifted, and I looked up to see what he was looking at. It was me he was gazing at and I felt paralyzed as his dark eyes held mine. Slowly, in what seemed an eternity, he lowered his head again so his lips could brush mine. Time seemed to stand still, and my heart thudded painfully in my chest as I returned the kiss. _He's kissing me!_ ran through my head as we sat there, kissing in the darkness of the car.

He shifted slightly, to face me more, and settled his left hand on my cheek. I was a little disoriented and though I had done this many times before, I was suddenly unsure of how to act.

When we finally broke apart, our faces remained very close. We were breathing heavily, and I was no longer even close to being cold.

I reached up with my right hand to brush a piece of hair out of his eyes. I felt his lips brush against my cheek and then travel to my ear as his hand reached up, presumably to clutch my shoulder but he blatantly brushed against my chest.

I instantly pulled away, uncomfortable going that far. As much as I loved feeling his lips on mine I wasn't ready for that yet.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly as he bestowed my cheek with another kiss.

Instead of engaging in other pursuits like we had been doing, we enjoyed the movie. I rested my head on his shoulder again and he wrapped his arm around me and we sat in comfortable silence, oblivious to the world around us.

Unfortunately, we were brought back all too soon when some hoods decided it would be fun to sneak up on someone in a car and bang on the windows. I was startled and frustrated, and I imagined that Bob was, too. His eyes flashed with anger, and he reached to open the door, but I stopped him. I saw that rage in his eyes; it was the same look that Dean – my ex – always wore when he was raring for a fight. I didn't doubt that Bob was a good fighter – on the contrary, I thought he would be quite a formidable force – but I didn't want my new boyfriend going off and getting in a fight on our first actual date. I didn't want him getting hauled in like a hood.

Of course, later on, I learned that I shouldn't have worried about Bob being hauled in, but I didn't know that at the time.

I tugged on his sweater to get his attention, and pleaded with him, "Bob, please, come on, just ignore them."

Giving in to my pleading, Bob loosened his grip on the door handle. His eyes still smoldered with anger, but I was relieved that he wouldn't act on it now that I had asked him not to.

The movie was almost over, anyway, and I told him I was going to go to the restroom before we left. He nodded, and I grabbed my purse before I stepped out of the car.

I made it to the restroom with only a small margin of difficulty. The movie wasn't quite over yet, so there weren't as many people milling about as there would be in a few minutes. Once I was safely in the restroom, I set my purse down on the counter and searched through it to find my compact. It was buried in the bottom, of course, and I quickly fished it out so I could use it. Once I was satisfied that my nose and cheeks weren't shiny, I dropped it back in my purse, right on top, before heading out the door.

The movie must have just ended, because the crowd was almost impossible to navigate. For a few moments, I was afraid that I wouldn't find Bob again, but I soon saw the familiar black Corvair sitting exactly where I left it. I quickly got in, and when I turned to face Bob, he was smiling again. _Back to normal._ I didn't think I would ever tire of seeing that smile, the way that his full lips curled just so made me want to just melt inside. Even though I was fairly cynical at times, I was a hopeless romantic at heart, and sometimes I just couldn't suppress it.

When we exited the theater, he turned to me and asked, "So, no getting out of it this time … where do you live?"

_Shit,_ was the first thought that ran through my mind, quickly followed by, _Fucking shit!_ When I found my voice, I replied, "Um, that's ok, really …"

"No, no, no, I told you you're not getting out of it this time. It's dark, and I'm not just dropping you off somewhere. I'm walking you to your door."

I sighed in resignation and gave him directions based on the direction of the school. Since it was dark, I suspected the house wouldn't look so bad, and I prayed that my strung-out mother wouldn't greet us at the door. That would be the last thing that I needed right now.

We rode in relative silence, pausing only to confirm directions. He did express a little surprise that I lived on "that side" of town but he didn't say anything more about it, and for that I was grateful. I was already nerve wracked, wondering how he would react to the poor state of the house, but he didn't draw attention to it. When we finally arrived, he gallantly offered me his hand to help me out of the car. "Is there anyone home?" he asked.

"Hmm?"

"I mean, the house is all dark; there's no lights on at all."

"Oh, they're probably already in bed, that's all."

The steps squeaked so horribly as we walked up them, and I felt that I had to offer an explanation. "The house wasn't maintained very well when we got it. We've been working to fix it up; we just haven't quite gotten to the stairs and the porch, yet."

He smiled and shrugged, like he really didn't mind it at all. "Well, I hope you had a fun time, tonight, Anne. I know I did."

I smiled back. "Yes, it was fun." I beamed, and we both fell silent. "Well, thank you, for tonight and everything. I'll see you on Monday?"

He nodded. "Yep, see you on Monday."

He bent over to give me a gentle kiss before he left me standing on the porch. As I opened the door and stepped into the darkened house, I felt like I was floating.


End file.
